The Soul's Song
by MyFictionalFantasy
Summary: When Erik stumbles upon Lucy's soul, he grows attached. She is happy, and he is willing to do anything he can to keep it that way. As they face obstacles, Lucy song begins to darken. With Erik stuck in The Tower of Heaven, and Lucy stuck in her own prison, they will do anything to keep each other happy. But there is only so much they can do.
1. Souls

**I should probably finish my other stories first, but eh.**

 **Leave a review, they keep the fingers typing.**

 **Let me know if you want more of this..**

 **Enjoy!**

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He really wasn't sure how he had first discovered the ability. The cries in The Tower of Heaven were always loud; the screams of anguish and despair were not new to him. But, he knew that he shouldn't've been able to hear _that_ well.

He could hear the guards approaching before they even left their headquarters. He could hear children and infants cry before they even let out a sound. Eventually, he was able to hear others.

He could hear their souls.

He could hear the muscles in their back tense and the whip being brought down on it. He could hear the snap of individual bones; the screams that didn't make it pass the lips. He could hear their thoughts, separate them individually and see how they constructed a single whimper.

He could hear the song that each individual had; in The Tower of Heaven they were deep playing violins, a beautiful and tragic and painful melody.

The guards were a different story though. Their songs were far too sinister; they stood out like a lake in a desert. They were a fast beat, and high pitched, similar to that of a selfish whine.

So when he _felt_ the tugging, he ignored it.

It was strange and unknown and made him gasp at the uncomfortable feeling. He felt as if someone was calling him; he could almost hear it, but it was too distant; it scared him.

He was used to hearing things, knowing what was coming; it comforted him; now that had been ripped away.

Their song was a soft lullaby; it was calm and reassuring and seemed _warm_.

And with the coolness of the tower, he felt obliged to go after it.

When he first made contact – so to speak – there was a pull that sent him flying. It dragged him through souls, each of their individual songs were loud and cut off abruptly; only to be replaced by another. His journey stopped and he frowned.

He was warm and breathless, but he felt relieved, for what? He didn't know.

The humming came from a girl; it was delicate and strong. She seemed to be at peace, but her song had an underlying deep melody, as if sadness was looming, waiting under the surface for the right time to attack.

He could see her, blonde hair, a pink dress, and two dolls in her hands. He knew she was smiling, although he couldn't see her.

 _"Can you hear me?"_ He knew it was a fluke; he half expected her soul to disappear, but it didn't.

She tilted her head. _"Yes, I can,"_ her voice was soft and happy. _"Why, though?"_

 _"I don't know."_

She continued humming, her voice slowly fading out; her body disappearing from his sight.

Before long, he was hurtling back through people's souls, their songs fast and ajar; leaving him with a slight headache. He stared around his cell; everyone else was asleep. He could hear the guard's malicious laughter and a woman screaming. He was envious that the others could so easily block it out.

 _"You there?"_ He felt like an idiot, but he was in desperate need of a distraction.

 _"Why would I have left?"_ he could sense her grinning, and he forced down his twitching lips. _"I'm Lucy, by the way."_

 _"Erik,"_

 _"Where are you, Erik?"_ she whispered, " _Why is it so cold?"_

 _"I don't know where I am."_ He stared at his cellmates, all fast asleep, their heads cradled between their knees.

 _"What does it look like?"_ Erik frowned, staring around the cell,

 _"It's dirty,"_ It was the most innocent answer he could give her, but he felt obliged to tell her more. _"And everyone is always sad, I can hear it."_

 _"So I'm not the only one you can hear?"_

 _"No,"_ He paused, _" I'd be happy if you were though."_

He could sense her frowning, _"Why's that?"_

 _"Because you're happy."_

 _"How do you know that?"_ He watched warily as a guard passed him, his thoughts promising pain to someone. He grimaced, if only he were strong enough to help them.

 _"I can hear it."_ She frowned once more, and Erik decided it didn't suit her, _"Your song. . . it's different; it's happy."_

 _"I have a song?"_ He nodded slightly, even though she couldn't see it.

 _"Everyone does."_

There was a hefty silence, and Erik – for a brief moment – thought he had lost her.

 _"What does yours sound like?"_ she was whispering, but her voice was well and truly loud enough for him to hear. But the question felt like a blow to the gut.

He had spent the last months of his life listening to everyone else. Hearing their every thought, the creaking in their muscles as the swung pickaxes, the tearing of their skin. He could hear the build up before a sneeze; how their muscles tensed, and then – for a beautiful, cherished second – how their body would relax. Erik had heard countless people dying, how their songs would fade out until their soul contained nothing but eerie silence.

But he had never heard his own soul.

And the thought of such a thing was rather terrifying.

He had grown accustomed to knowing peoples every move; hearing it; their thoughts, their body, he could hear what they felt, and by some miracle he could feel it too. And it was beautiful in a sense, because Erik would never forget the people that died, that were tortured; he would make sure they were never forgotten.

But, would he be remembered?

 _"I don't know what my song sounds like,"_ he rested his head against the stone wall behind him; closing his eyes for barely a second, _"I've never heard it."_

 _"I wish I could hear it."_ Erik agreed with her. There was a pause; not a silence, but a general pause in conversation. _"I have to go, Erik."_ Another pause, _"Do you get taught anything there – wherever you are, I mean?"_

How to be quiet? Yes. How to follow orders? Yes. How to cut your wrists pulling on shackles to hard? Yes, especially that one.

 _"No, not really. . .Why?"_ he felt her grinning,

 _"No reason."_ She giggled, a bubbly sound that made him relax even more than a sneeze. _"Goodbye for now."_

 _"Bye,"_

And then Erik was surrounded by the same loud obnoxious noise as before. There was a scream that jolted him out of his thoughts; one that was so horrendous it hurtled him back in to the reality he was used to.

Another scream and he covered his ears; trying to block it out. One of his cellmates whimpered, and Erik made eye contact with him; black eyes stared back at him, fear laced into every ring of colour.

Then as quietly as he could, he shuffled closer to him. He moved his scarred hands from his own ears and put them over the boys. His eyes screwed shut as he hugged his knees and Erik tried something potentially risky.

It was a memory from before he had been captured. The only one he had. It was only sounds, but Erik replayed it whenever he couldn't sleep. Soon enough he was pushing the sound onto the boy. It was simply waves coming in and out, but it was soothing enough; especially in this place.

When the boys eyes popped open in surprise, Erik smiled softly, watching him drift into a calm sleep.

If Lucy could help him from some faraway place, then imagine what he could do.

He could be strong. He would help the people around him, it was the least he could do.

He heard from the cell across from him a baby about to cry. He knew the lashing the woman would get if the baby made to much sound.

"Your babies about cry, there's a guard above us. Be quick."

The woman's eyes were wide and she quickly rocked the child, relief flooding her eyes as the baby remained quiet.

"She needs more sleep." The woman nodded in thanks, too fearful to even question him.

And with effort that had him sweating he concentrated on the boy whose ears he was holding and the baby; replaying the waves over and over again, shushing them both into a sleep.

In his own way, he could help.

He would help.

* * *

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 **Hope you enjoyed the chapter!**

 **Until next time :)**

 **~MyFictionalFantasy**


	2. Boats

**Yea so it' been a while, but initially I didn' know what direction I wanted this story to go in**

 **But I think I know now, so let me know what you think**

 **PLEASE excuse any errors**

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Lucy sat reading. From what she could it was a rather simple story: one about a girl in a tower and a man that rescued her. The story would have normally enraptured her, it would have sent her on a journey where her mind could escape the tutors and maids waiting on her. It would send her to a place that felt just real enough to actually be real.

But there was an insistent tapping. Almost like a fingernail on a tin can, except more persistent. It was a scratchy sound, one that had her cringing. It was in her mind, that much she knew. But it wouldn't stop. No matter how loud she screamed the words of the book into her head, that _god awful_ tapping did not cease.

It gave her the same feeling as when chalk would squeal against the black of a chalkboard.

It was coming from wherever Erik was. Wherever the cool air swarmed bones; wherever isolation was your only company; wherever it was that Erik found himself trapped.

He was strikingly similar to the girl in the story. Lucy felt like laughing as she imagined that. She did not know his appearance, but she still imagined that high, raspy voice yelling out from the top of a tower – it was enough to send her hand to her mouth to muffle a snicker.

The tutors words were muffled and Lucy realised she was indeed speaking. She was reading, but she wasn't; half of her was in the over-priced chair, holding an equally over-priced book, and the other was listening to that needy _tap tap tap._

The tutor was following along with her words, listening as she spoke flawlessly. She wasn't in any state of mind to care, she was too busy worrying about Erik.

 _Was it even real?_

Maybe he didn't exist; maybe he was someone she created to deal with her own loneliness. Maybe if Erik existed, then maybe – just maybe – she could pretend her mother wasn't dying.

The thought sent her mind screeching to a halt. The fear of him not being real almost made her reading pause. But she continued. Each sentence in her mind ending with _tap tap tap._ Erik had to be real. He was the only child she had ever spoken to. The only person who knew how she felt. Almost as though he felt it. She could feel him too. She could hear the tapping, she could hear the screaming when things got really quiet. She found herself wanting to save him.

Maybe he was the girl in the book – just as fictional.

But there was something too _human_ about Erik. Something that Lucy knew her naïve mind couldn't have conjured. He was too complex, too different to the people around her - someone a mere eight year old couldn't possibly create.

 _"Are you there Erik?"_ It was difficult not to speak the words out loud. Almost like she was splitting her mind in half, forcing herself to be in two places at once. Then the cold of that place seeped into her bones, and Lucy knew he was there.

 _"Yeah,"_ the tapping grew louder, almost throbbing. _"I'm tired, Lucy."_

She forced herself not to bite her lip, knowing that she would stutter while reading.

 _'Do you get taught anything there – wherever you are, I mean?'_

 _'No, not really. . .Why?'_

Lucy cut off the memory. _"Can – can I show you something?"_

Erik didn't speak, but she felt him nod, as if there was a part of her brain that could see him too.

She didn't know how she did it, but she opened her mind; a splintering pain that only lasted a few seconds washed over her. Then she imagined herself grabbing the two worlds – wherever Erik was and her seat in the chair – and she merged them – her mind smashing them together with enough force to do the impossible.

The words she had been speaking amplified and became sounds, rather than the faded away syllables she had been saying before. Erik was there, almost looking over her shoulder as she read.

The _tap tap tap_ became as loud as her speaking – but somehow, Lucy pushed it to the back of her mind, and then she read to Erik.

-0-

He had been shocked for a few brief seconds, his eyes had widened and his pickaxe's pace seemed to stutter. None of the guards paid him any mind, which was good, because if they were to beat him, he certainly didn't want Lucy hearing it. The thought of the guards finding out he had magic sent his mind into a frenzy.

When he dug deep into the nearest guard's mind – which he didn't do often, thankfully – he heard just how terrible the idea would be. There was a different procedure for magical abilities. They didn't get beat like normally. They were usually slaughtered, their powers stored in lacrimas as their soul was ripped from their body.

It would not be wise for them to know.

Erik took his pickaxe and reset his pace. They wouldn't know. They couldn't. there was too much riding on their ignorance.

Lucy's voice was clear, and the words on the pages of her book where flashing before him – luckily he was still able to clear the stone. They were words he had heard before, although they were words he had never had the privilege to see written. He had never read a book before. He had only ever heard words – had never seen them written and the symbols used to represent each sound. He didn't imagine the characters to have swirled starts, or flicks, and he didn't know what the words actually said, he relied on Lucy for that.

Someone behind him tensed, he heard the muscles freeze, then the tell-tale crack of a whip; the hallmark of this horrifying building. He kept his pickaxe steady, his mind in that room with Lucy, his body in the tower chipping away at stone, his magic alerting him when something changed.

The scream pierced the air as terribly as the wind. Erik blocked it. Lucy didn't need to hear that. Not when her soul was so happy. The woman was being dragged away, her body immobile after they put the tranquilising shackles on her – the shackles saved mostly for women. Erik didn't know why those shackles were reserved for girls and women. He did not want to know.

 _"…let down your hair,' cried the prince,"_ Lucy read. He frowned.

 _"How long's her hair if it reaches the bottom of the tower?"_

Lucy paused, not in her reading, but her thought process, which was when she occasionally had to tell him the meanings of words he hadn't heard before. The reading faded into background noise as she spoke to him, _"Way too long."_ He could imagine her shaking her head, _"Do you know how hard it is to brush hair?"_

 _"My hair's not really long enough that it needs brushing…"_ He found himself feeling shy all of a sudden, as if Lucy was going to hold It against him.

 _"Lucky,"_

 _"Do you think,"_ he started, _"that if my hair got long enough I'd be able to get out of here?"_

Lucy's soul strummed a low cord, a sting of sadness coating her thoughts, even the way she was reading. _"I'm not sure, Erik."_ She scrunched her eyebrows, _"I think you'd need a really big brush , though."_

-0 _-_

When her tutoring had ended, Lucy had moved into the library where her father's large collection of books sat, dust free – thanks to the servants that polished them all. She read Erik another story, one that was easy to understand, but one she thought he would enjoy a little more than Rapunzel.

So she read to him, until the _tap tap tap_ stopped and Erik bid her goodnight.

But as she lay down in her bed, the tapping started again, the same obnoxious tapping as before. Only louder, as if Erik was dreaming about it.

Her head throbbed with every agonising and repeated beat, until a sweat broke out and it was hard to breathe. She sensed Erik there again. He didn't say anything, but somehow, a breeze blew over her – even though all of her doors and windows had been locked – curtesy of the maids.

Her ceiling changed first. The usual cream colour morphing from the boring colourless paint and into a deep blue sky – almost cloudless. Birds were chirping and there was a peaceful shushing that urged her to look in front of her; to turn her eyes away from limitless blue sky.

She turned her eyes away and instead of a limitless sky, a limitless ocean greeted her. Beyond the ocean, there was a never-ending sunset. One that painted the sky with pinks and reds and oranges and purples. It shone brighter than anything she had ever seen, yet her eyes remained unharmed, as if the brightness was there but only to soothe.

She stared out to the horizon, staring at the silhouette of a small boat. Lucy watched it sway left to right, until finally it seemed steady.

She ran her fingers through the sand, knowing it was too incredible for it to be true. But the sand ran through her hands like any other sand.

She kept staring at that boat, her eyes narrowing and relaxing the longer she kept her eyes there.

 _A limitless ocean? Yes._

 _A never-ending sunset? Yes._

Still, there was more than that.

As the tide rose, the water scraped her toes and cooled her body. Lucy blinked and found herself staring back at her colourless roof.

She closed her eyes; the _tap tap tap_ silenced. As she drifted into a deep sleep, she found herself dreaming. She was sitting in a boat, the limitless sky above her, a limitless ocean below her; sailing into a never-ending sunset.

And although she couldn't see him – Lucy could sense that Erik was there too.

* * *

 **Ta-da _!_ that's that, I hoped you liked it**

 **Drop a review, they keep the fingers typing**

 **Hope you enjoyed.**

 **Until next time :)**

 **~MyFictionalFantasy**

* * *

 **Next update (hopefully) on the 24th**


	3. Tears

**Hi, I'm really sorry for updating, I planned to but instead had immediate surgery**

 **That kind of threw a spanner in the works.**

 **Anyway, here's the new chapter, a bit dark.**

 **Hope you enjoy**

 **(I apologise for any errors, I wanted to get this out quick so it hasn't been edited all that much)**

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-0-

Lucy had never been a big crier. Her tears were special, only for the most important occasions. As her mother had said, "Don't waste your tears on the little things". That thought sent the tears down her cheeks faster. Lucy didn't want to be here anymore. The mansion she lived in was too empty. The solemn mood of everyone made it weigh down on her, crushing her; making her feel as though she couldn't breathe.

Lucy wondered how her father was.

He had not come and spoken to her, he had sent Miss Spetto to give the message, and the old lady had held Lucy when she started crying, but the lady's cold bones did not warm her.

Miss Spetto was gone now, whisked away with the rest of the workers, leaving Lucy to mourn. There was an emptiness in her heart, in her chest, in her head.

She fumbled with the keys in her hand, staring at them and trying to figure out a way to stop crying. She heard the constant _tap tap tap_ become louder as she heard Erik.

 _"Lucy, what's wrong?"_

Lucy knew even the voice in her head sounded pitiful, although she was glad she could not cry mentally. _"My mother died, Erik."_

There was complete silence, save the _tap tap tap. "Oh, Lucy," Erik's voice was softer than usual, "I'm so sorry,"_

 _"I should have known,"_ she stared at the keys, shocked to find her tears had stopped dropping, still the ache in her heart persisted. _"I should have known, she gave me her keys, Erik, she would never have done that if she was going to get better."_

It was true, Lucy knew. She was aware that she too would be a celestial mage, she knew all there was to know about spirits, all in her mother's teachings. But Layla Heartfilia wasn't alive anymore. She couldn't teach Lucy. Lucy always thought that she would be given her first gold key as a reward for the effort and dedication she put into practicing magic. The thought of _inheriting_ her mother's keys was not one that ever crossed her mind.

Lucy had known her mother was sick. Deep down she knew her mother was dying; even deeper down she had already accepted it. Regardless of what the doctors and her father told her, she knew. She was young, but she was not stupid.

Her mother's illness was too quick; too abrupt, too draining; spreading too fast for it to just be some sickness. Whatever disease had plagued her mother was too vicious to heal.

Lucy stared at the keys. Aquarius was her mother's best and longest friend. Cancer was cherished just as dearly. How were they coping? Were they sobbing messes? Were they happy to be free of a contract? _No, Mother was a great celestial mage_.

 _"Lucy she wanted you to have her keys because she knows you'll be just as great – better even – of a mage than her."_

Lucy remembered her mother's full, vibrant face, discarding the memory of it being boney and dull in death. Her mother was a happy woman. Her father made her happy, Lucy made her happy, her spirits made her happy; she knew that her mother wouldn't want her to be upset, but even knowing this, that ache deep down did not waver.

 _"You'll be a great mage, Lucy, this is just a chance for you to become stronger. Stronger than you were yesterday, stronger than you are today."_

 _"How did you deal with your parents dying?"_

Lucy thought that maybe it was rude to ask, but she was given an answer after Erik's pause. _"I don't remember much of them, Lucy. What I do remember, it's all the happy bits, I try not to forget those parts."_

Lucy smiled sadly at that. Now all she had left were memories. All she could do was look back on those happy times. She'd never be able to create another moment with her mother ever again. Loneliness swarmed her heart when she realised she had lost the person closest to her – the very person that gave her life.

 _"What about the bad parts, do you still remember those?"_ she asked. She didn't want to remember her mother dying. She wanted to remember her full of life, charismatic and bright, she didn't want to think about how she was used to her mother smiling through pain.

 _"You don't ever forget them, but they just make the good times seem better."_

Lucy yawned, _"I'm gonna go to sleep."_

 _"Good night, Lucy,"_

 _"Night, Erik."_

Lucy pulled the blankets well around herself, thinking about all the smiles her mother wore , she kept her whimpers quiet, turning her face into her pillow and hoping she'd wake up somewhere else.

* * *

Erik knew Lucy was not asleep. He could feel the drain on her body as though it were his own. He felt the tears in his eyes, he considered crying, thinking that maybe if he was sad Lucy wouldn't be. When the boy next to him got a whipping, Erik threw the idea away.

He continued working away at the wall in front of him, cursing the cuffs around his wrists when they dug into the bruises and cuts there. Erik's head spun, he hadn't been fed in days – that much was usual – but he was thirsty. He was _so thirsty_. He tried to shake away his dizziness, only making it worse. Despite his body's need to collapse, he kept his pickaxe steady, knowing that if that stopped, he would too.

He heard a scream echo off the walls, felt his eyes twitch and his body stutter, still he kept that pickaxe steady. His eyes moistened as he heard Lucy's soul. It was as strange and foreign as he remembered, happy and fast, but now it was different. The underlying sadness he first heard in it was not a warning anymore. They played loud, drowning out the tones he was used to, until melancholy ran through his own soul.

The escape he had was blocked. As though someone had placed a lock on the only door he could open.

Sorrow. Sorrow and pain and disbelief.

Erik tried swallowing more saliva, only to find that his mouth was parched, dry of anything. He knew this was bad, from the head spins to the dizziness to the way his body felt like giving up on him. He felt thankful when the guards took them to their cells, feeling his eyes dropping, but focussing his attention on keeping his feet on the ground.

When they arrived to his cell, Erik walked in heavily. His eyes widened and he winced as he felt a squeezing at the back of his neck. He could hear the guard's jaw creaking as it moved, but he couldn't hear the words coming from his mouth. He tried listening to the man's thoughts, but the only thing he was thinking were all the names he was no doubt being called.

Erik began to really panic when the guard began dragging him away. His feet couldn't keep up anymore, he tumbled to the ground more than once, having to pick himself up as the man continued to drag him. Over the uneven ground and rocky surface, Erik could feel his legs becoming scratched, could feel the blood running down them.

The back of his neck, like a puppy, was still held tightly; but there was nothing paternal about this man's hold. He was yanked to his feet, and then thrown low to the ground, feeling his too-prominent ribs crack against a rock. His body continued rolling, stopping short and Erik coughed, feeling his eyes water. This was bad. This was very bad.

Still, the world around him was quiet; he couldn't hear anything besides the swishing of ocean water against the tower. Then again, that may have been the blood pumping through his ears.

The front of his neck was grabbed next, squeezing tightly and cutting off the air flow. He was thrown against a rocky wall, his arms grabbed and locked into place with the help of the cuffs on his wrists. The man grinned down at Erik before taking hold of the bindings, then squeezing them with as much force as he could.

Erik felt the metal slice into his skin, letting out a scream and feeling his stomach turn. Still he could not hear. He could feel the cuffs scratch on his bones.

He dry heaved at the pain, wishing he had _anything_ in his stomach if it meant that internal ache would go away too.

The fabric around his torso was cut away and Erik closed his eyes, ignoring the tears that had already leaked past them. The man left and Erik was left to pant, his eyes wide and wet with pain.

All at once sound rushed back to him. He heard the man's soul, heard it's beat pick up; he knew the man was enjoying this. Then he could hear the whimpers of the people who were unfortunate enough to have their cells so close to this god-forsaken room. He heard the laughs of other guards, then the rhythmic _tap tap tap_. If he listened close enough, he heard Macbeth crying, then the others in the room, all seemed to be worried about him; even the girl who spent her time staring out of the barred window.

Erik heard a familiar crack; his body tensed immediately, the fear instantaneous as his body tried to jerk away from what he knew was coming. The cuffs yanked tightly on his bones, carving away at the flesh under them. He tried to move away but he could not. He felt the barbed ends of the whip cleave their way into his back. Felt the pain when the man ripped the whip away, as well as the pieces of flesh he had loosened. He heard the rip of skin, heard the individual tear of each strand of muscle.

Erik heaved at the pain, but nothing came up, just the taste of bile and salt as his tears leaked out.

* * *

Lucy's watery eyes widened, her hand reaching out and feeling along her back, shocked to find not a bump or even a scratch. She closed her eyes again, pushing out more tears. She was cold. The mansion was cold. Her room was cold.

Her mother was warm but she was gone.

She had left Lucy to deal with the ice left in her wake.

Lucy closed her eyes, hiccupping. She wanted to be gone. She didn't want to be here anymore.

She wanted to be somewhere warm.

Her mind flashed to the dream she had weeks back, sitting on a boat, the sun keeping her hot.

With Erik.

She wanted to be with Erik.

-0-

Erik knew the ground was cold. He knew, yet he couldn't feel it.

He could only feel the numbing agony in his entire body.

He wanted to close his eyes and never wake up again.

The man returned with a bucket of water and dumped it on Erik's back. Even when the water ran through the bruising and mauled skin, Erik didn't move.

But in the deepness of his mind he heard that happy tune. It was silent compared to everything else, but it was there. It hadn't disappeared yet. Hope wasn't gone yet.

Erik pushed his body up with his elbows, feeling them quake and tremble with effort before collapsing. He panted, grunting with effort as he tried again and again to support his body. It didn't matter how much he gnashed his teeth. He dragged himself to a puddle of water that had collected. He ignored the dirt and blood in it, dipping his head down and gulping at it, feeling it hit his stomach; the organ recoiling in shock.

He tried to make Lucy's soul louder, but it was too far away.

She was too far away.

Erik wanted to disappear.

He closed his eyes, making one wish as his mind, body, and soul succumbed to darkness.

He wanted to be with Lucy.

* * *

 **It hurt me to do that to the both of them, it really did.  
I won't say I hoped you enjoyed it, because I really don't want anyone to enjoy reading something like that.  
Until next time :/**

 **~MyFictionalFantasy**


	4. Snakes

**This feels rushed somehow, but here y'all patient readers go**

 **Hope you like it though,**

 **soon we'll get more plotty**

 **(not really edited, apologies in advance)**

* * *

When Erik woke up again, Macbeth's hands were on his back, the girl who stared at the window, as well as the other kids in the cell were all staring at him with pity. He felt the sting of water on his back as his wounds were cleaned – he listened but couldn't hear anything but muffles.

Erik passed out with the knowledge that he was alive – that was enough for the moment.

Lucy wasn't crying anymore. She felt numb. She watched the mahogany casket as it lowered into the ground. She could hear the workers of the estate crying; mourning for her mother. Lucy's tears stopped, she didn't speak. She couldn't.

She could feel her father standing next to her, could feel the warmth of his body. But she had already seen the cold in his eyes. The disinterest. Lucy could understand it. Her father was the King and he had lost his Queen. Sure, he had his Princess, but he needed the Queen or the Kingdom would collapse.

Lucy didn't dare to look at her father. She didn't know why she couldn't, just that her body was telling her it was a bad idea. That it wouldn't be a smart move. Something in the way he had distanced himself from her and the maids.

Lucy had never seen her father cry. This day was no exception.

When the last shovel of dirt had been put over her mother, Lucy paid her respects and went inside. From her window, she could see her father still standing there. She watched him turn and move back inside. His face was cold, his eyes tired. He disappeared from her sight and a few minutes later she heard the doors to his study close.

Lucy took a book off her shelf. She opened it up and waited for her brain to catch on to what she was reading. It didn't, and instead she spent the hour flipping pages upon pages.

She hadn't heard Erik in two days. She felt like she had been betrayed. Then she realised he was probably imaginary – while the thought struck her with sadness, Lucy dropped the train of thought and put the book on her table. She fell asleep holding her mother's keys and wishing she wasn't alone.

"Open gate of the Water Bearer! Aquarius!" Lucy waited. Nothing. She still wasn't strong enough. Still, after six weeks of continuous practice, she couldn't open a gate. How was she supposed to be a strong Celestial mage if she couldn't even do this?

She hadn't seen her father since Layla's funeral. He had buried himself in his business, and Lucy was under the impression that he hadn't wanted to see her. She wanted to see him, though, she wanted to hug him and tell him she was still here. That he hadn't lost her. Lucy often got the courage to do such things, and found herself at his study door, poised, ready to knock. Lucy would walk away before she had the chance.

Erik was gone. There was no more voice, no more words to cling to, no more warmth from him even though it was freezing wherever he was. Erik himself was warm. He was what Lucy needed – a friend. Someone that could make her feel like she wasn't the only person in this mansion. That's what Lucy needed.

But he wasn't there. Hadn't been since the day her mother died. In the same day Lucy felt like she had lost everyone. Her mother was dead, her father was not who he used to be, and perhaps, Erik was dead too. Or, worse, maybe Erik hadn't even been there at all.

Lucy focussed on the key in her right hand, imagined the magic flowing through her arm and into the key, then into the cup of water it was touching. "Open gate of the Water Bearer! Aquarius!" She watched in fascination as a light appeared, a door, and then the woman Lucy had grown up with was in front of her. Blue hair, blue outfit, blue eyes. Aquarius scowled.

"I was on a date, you brat, you can't pull me out whenever you want."

Lucy's eyes watered. "I'm sorry… I just—was lonely."

Aquarius tsked. "Don't you have friends to go play with? Go meet with them."

Lucy looked away from the spirit, "I don't have any friends. I had Erik, but now he's gone."

"Call him then, kid, I'm sure he'd love to catch up."

Aquarius didn't hide how little she cared. It hurt Lucy. She had wanted a friend, someone she could talk to, and instead she had summoned a cold-hearted mermaid. Lucy wondered how her mother had been friends with this spirit. Her mother was always kind though. She always treated her spirits as people; as friends – could Lucy do that? She didn't want to be cruel and nasty, she wanted to be an even better celestial mage than her mother.

She would be nice to Aquarius, even if the Water Bearer didn't like her, there was no point in fighting with her for friendship. Lucy would be the kind girl her mother wanted her to be and she would be a great mage by doing so.

"I don't know where he is… he's—gone." Lucy shook her head of the tears, her mind catching up to speed. This was about a contract, this was about her future career as a mage, and Erik couldn't be a stopping her from that. "I called you hear because I would like to make a contract, if you would accept me as your key holder."

Lucy didn't meet Aquarius' eyes. She didn't want to. She was scared that the Water Bearer would reject her offer and she would be lose yet another piece of her mother.

"Look at me, kid."

She peaked up slowly. Aquarius still looked angry, disinterested too, but Lucy held her eye wearily.

"Ask again. This time look at me."

Lucy made sure she held eye contact. "I would like to make a contract." She swallowed. "If you would accept."

Aquarius was silent. "Fine." Her mood shifter, her eyes glinted as she stared up dreamily. "But I'm not available all the time, I have a _boyfriend_."

Lucy nodded, a smile stretching across her face that felt foreign. "Do you think Cancer would want to have a contract with me too?"

Aquarius scoffed, "Don't wear yourself out, brat, wait a day for your magic to come back."

Lucy nodded, still smiling.

Aquarius huffed. "I have to go back – to my _boyfriend~"_

Lucy rolled her eyes as the mermaid disappeared. Aquarius was probably going to be a handful, would probably never do anything she asked, but she was a celestial spirit mage with a contract to a golden key. That accomplishment was enough to make her put aside her worries about Aquarius.

Lucy felt closer to her mother than she had in days. She moved towards her window, looking out and to the statue above her mother's grave. _I hope I'm doing you proud._

Erik woke up to a hand shaking him. The kid with the black hair was saying something. It took a few seconds for his senses to come back, when they did, he blinked, assaulted with sound. Still, it hadn't gotten any better, it hadn't improved. He was still where he was. Where he would always be.

"—get up now, you've been out of work for too long."

"How long?" He croaked. His voice sounded foreign to him, his throat ached. It must have been a while, he figured.

"A few weeks."

He blinked, feeling himself drift off before he forced himself awake. "Why didn't they kill me?"

That was the usual protocol; if you were too sick to work, you were of no use – if you had no use, you had no life, not that this one was much to live for.

The guy with the big nose cut in. Erik didn't know his name, had never asked for it because there was no point in friendship if they'd all die anyway. There was no room for excess hurt. "About a hundred or so people died in T area after a breach, someone escaped. We're under new leadership. He's good to us, gave us the medicine to get you better. He feeds us too."

Erik sat up, hissing at the pain in his back. He could feel the scars splitting, not used to movement and certainly not ready for the day ahead of him. Erik would have to power through though. If he didn't, he was just another corpse in the ocean around them. One upon thousands left to bloat and rot in the vicious waters.

Erik rose unsteadily. His hearing was returning, growing stronger by the second, and after a minute of stretching his muscles, he could hear everything. The girl with white hair was thinking of flying away, the boy with the big nose thought of running, Macbeth and the chubby kid thought about their respective families. They were a big bunch of kids with no hope in sight. Erik let himself relax.

The cage doors weren't locked, they were open almost as if tempting him to escape. Was it like it for everyone else? If what his cellmate was saying was true, then why would they want to escape? They were getting fed, had vaccines, were essentially free, but confined. When Erik really thought about it, they were better off here than on the outside.

What could orphans do on the outside – if they made it to the mainland at all? Starve, beg, and hope for the best. Erik was better off here.

He padded his way through the cells, watching people laugh as they worked, enjoying themselves. It was all too surreal. In a way, it was so unbelievable that Erik thought he was still dreaming. He picked up a pickaxe and got to work, his muscles already familiarising and remembering the motions to chip away at the stone.

 _Tap. Tap. Tap._

 _Food. Where food?_ Erik frowned, looking to his right where the voice came from. _Somewhere near, food._ He picked up a rock and watched a purple snake slither it's way out. It seemed to freeze under Erik's gaze. Kneeling, he held out his hand.

 _Danger?_

Erik shook his head, too amazed at this ability. He could hear humans, but never had he thought he would be able to understand animals. "I'm Erik."

 _No name._

He hummed, looking over his shoulder. "You can be Cubellios." He whispered.

 _Like Cubellios._

The snake hesitantly slithered onto Erik's hand, wrapping itself around his wrist as it arched to be level with him. He stuck out a finger and scratched under her jaw. Her tongue flicked out and brushed his nose.

"You need to hide, otherwise they'll take you from me. I'll make sure you're fed."

Erik was sure if a snake could nod, he had just witnessed it. Cubellios moved her way up his arm, under his shirt as she made her way to his pocket. He walked slowly at first, scared to disrupt her as he moved. He picked up his pickaxe once more.

 _Tap. Tap. Tap._

 _"Erik?"_ Erik's eyes widened. Lucy. He had forgotten Lucy.

 _"Lucy?"_

 _"Are you okay? You've been gone so long."_

Erik frowned, swallowing. _"I got sick, but I'm okay now. I think things are going to get better."_

 _"So much has changed, Erik. I contracted one of my mother's spirits, Aquarius. She's mean, but she's always there when I'm lonely and I'm sure if worst came to worst she'd protect me."_ Lucy hummed, the sound sent shivers down Erik's spine, over the scars and mutilated flesh, almost as though her voice was healing him. Her song was still deep and melodious, the faint tune he had first heard was still there somewhere; buried under her pain and sorrow.

 _"I found some good books you might like?"_ The offer was simple, Erik smiled. He listened as she began to read, something about a man name Jack and Giants that lived in the sky. He kept at his work, not stopping for a moment.

Cubellios hissed, not a threatening hiss, almost like a sigh, _Lucy nice._

"She is, isn't she, Cu?"

* * *

 **I hope it wasn't too hard to distinguish Cubellios and Lucy? Let me know if it was and I can change some stuff so it's easier for future chapters.**

 **Leave** **a review, they keep the fingies typing.**

 **Hope you enjoyed :)**

 **Until next time~~**

 **~MyFictionalFantasy**


	5. Terror

**I actually had this chapter ready early**

 **Sorry for not posting it sooner, I didn't trust myself to have another chapter ready by today**

 **(I was correct)**

 **There's a little time skip in this one right at the end-**

 **Hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

Erik didn't know what to expect when his entire cell had been called into the new owner's office space. It wasn't a real office, per say, or what Erik could even fathom one to look like – after all, the only study he'd seen was through Lucy's eyes. This office didn't look like the one he knew, there was no brown desk or fancy cabinets or books, there was simply a boy with blue hair and a red face tattoo sitting on a chair with a glint in his eye.

Erik could hear his thoughts immediately, there was something odd about them. Something scattered; almost like this kid didn't have thoughts for himself – almost as though there was someone talking to him through his mind.

Similar to the connection he and Lucy had, Erik supposed, but Lucy had no hint of malice in her. This voice; whatever was plaguing this man held nothing but evil, worrisome intentions. Erik's hands started sweating.

"There's a man here who wants to purchase you all. He says he wants five strong wizards. Now none of you have magic—" the boy's eyes seemed to settle on Erik for a moment too long, almost as though he knew his secret. "—but he is willing to teach you all."

Erik's heart thumped. He was getting out. They all were. They were all finally getting out of this God-awful prison and they would all be free. Erik found tears on his lashes. The wounds on his back had finally healed over, it had taken a little over two weeks before the skin was fully healed and didn't tear at minimal movement.

The timing was perfect, Erik had regaining his strength and health, he could focus on his magic and he could walk the Earth as a free man.

He wanted to cry out of sheer happiness, he wanted to scream at the top of his lungs, until his voice cracked and his throat ached. He wanted everyone in this tower to hear the relief, the true joy that he was feeling.

Most of all, Erik wanted to laugh.

Mostly out of disbelief, some part out of anguish, some for the simple lack of trepidation. Erik was almost free, they all were. The girl was crying, Macbeth was staring at this boy wide eyed, the chubby boy was grinning and the one with the big nose looked on in scepticism.

"This isn't up for negotiating, you will all be leaving, no questions asked; I simply have no use for you anymore."

If Erik was to be deemed as useless this one time, then consequences be damned, he'd allow himself to be pleased about it.

He would learn magic, he would find Lucy; free her from her castle, and they'd walk to the ends of Earthland a million times over – simply because they could.

-0-

Lucy could feel it. It had happened only rarely before, with the pain on her back; but she could feel Erik's emotions. They were vague, almost like an itch under the skin, but they were there. Lucy hadn't ever felt real joy from Erik before; if he had felt it, it wasn't to this extent, that was for certain.

She continued eating her breakfast, the maids were chatting idly by her, dusting and cleaning what had only been tidied up yesterday. She wondered if they ever got bored of their job; clean, eat, sleep, clean, eat, sleep, over and over again, day after day. Lucy didn't want a life like that. She wanted spontaneity, adventures, journeys, happiness.

Lucy wanted to experience something new every day she woke up.

It became obvious to her that she didn't want to be a wife, an heiress to a company, a mother to the next corporal owner. Lucy wanted to be a wizard; she wanted purpose to her life; she wanted to help others, explore, see each day as if it were her last.

Lucy wanted to let her magic flourish, become the greatest Celestial Wizard in all of Earthland, she wanted a team to back her; she wanted to be known, and most of all, she wanted Erik to be a part of it.

Wherever he was – even if he really didn't exist and was only a figment of her imagination – she wanted him to be with her for all of it. If he were real—Lucy wasn't sure. They'd work together, they'd become world renown mages and they would be together forever. The possibilities were endless and Lucy wanted so desperately for them to come into fruition.

 _"Lucy…"_

Erik's voice was hesitant, as though he was afraid to speak to her.

 _"Are you ok?"_ She asked. She was worried, unease settled in her gut at the tone of his voice. He sounded scared, baffled, confused.

 _"Lucy.. they're—they're letting us go."_

Her heart thudded. If they were being let go then she could meet him. They could find each other and all the dreams she had had of their future would actually happen. Lucy's eyes watered at the prospect of it. She could escape this cold house, she could find Erik, and they could live together.

She didn't know what to say. She was lost for words. Somehow Erik understood this though, like he always had been able to understand her. Lucy didn't need to say anything, didn't need to construct a single thought; all she had to do was feel and Erik would know.

 _"We're going with this guy, he wants to teach us magic, make us into a guild… I don't know what to do, it all feels impossible?"_

Lucy grinned, her lips trembled, before she knew it, she was crying. She was happy. Inexplicably so. There was nothing to stain her mood, she wouldn't let anything get her down, because Erik was free. Erik was getting out. He was finally escaping his prison.

Her heart thrummed painfully when she realised she was still stuck in hers.

 _"I'm—"_ Lucy's mind stopped, almost like her mental throat was clogged. _"We could actually find each other. When I can leave and we can meet and we can do anything if he we wanted to."_

 _"I know, Lucy, I know."_ Erik's own happiness was hitting her in waves. The excitement pulsing through her wasn't one sided. They both felt the same, they both were renewed with a fresh sense of hope. They would find each other. Not today, not tomorrow, maybe not until they were eighty-five and wrinkly; but they would get there. They had the chance too.

Lucy wasn't going to let that chance slip from her grasp.

The cold of this empty house was forgotten, the cold from wherever Erik was left too. For the first time, they both were seemingly warm.

-0-

Erik waited with the others. He continued talking to Lucy, albeit, she didn't say much, but he could feel her presence, could hear everything she was feeling as it strummed through her soul. The upbeat song was back, the melancholy strain of music was drowned out by this new composition. Erik was prided by the fact that he had been able to do this. Even if it was from circumstances beyond his control.

The man that wanted him and his cellmates was arriving shortly. According to the blue haired boy – Jellal – he was a master of magic and would help them learn. The man called himself Brain, whether the name was real or not wasn't something Erik cared to know, but he wanted a guild. He wanted five kids to train into the perfect warriors.

Erik envisioned himself fighting crime, stopping the bad guys, protecting his cellmates – Lucy, as well – he imagined putting a stop to people like Jellal; people that trapped innocents in cages and forced labour upon them.

Erik heard the man approach. He was a far distance away – the specifics were unknown – but the soul of this man made Erik's mouth dry with fear. He had never heard a soul like this. The workers in this tower were a spec in comparison to whoever he would be leaving with. He had thought the man who whipped him was evil, thought he was the work of the devil.

If that was the case, this man was the Devil himself.

His song wasn't upbeat, it wasn't slow either, it was the kind of song that would stick in your head. There were no melancholy instruments, not a hint of fear or terror. There were no high, soft, and peaceful notes, nothing even comparable to Lucy. This man's song was loud, heavy, suffocating.

Spontaneous smashes of drums that ricocheted off the walls, fast playing violins that had Erik's eyes filling with tears for reasons unknown. Cymbals clashed and jarred him again and again. He could hear Lucy calling out for him, he couldn't respond. The fear had him tongue tied. He looked at his cell mates, all unaware of the man they were being 'saved' by. This was something only Erik was aware of.

As the man got closer he could hear it; the whisperings of his mind; the sickest intentions he had of them, the things he dreamed of accomplishing, the desires that he kept to himself. Erik was privy to them all.

 _I don't want to know. I don't want to know. I don't want to know._

Lucy's voice was so far away, unreachable and too far out of his grasp. He was propelled into nothingness, no Lucy, no room, no Jellal, no cellmates. He drifted closer to that man, closer and closer and closer. Erik struggled against whatever pull this was.

He wanted to escape. He didn't want to be here.

He would take death over this.

Erik would risk everything if it meant not leaving with this man.

The door to the room opened. The face of the man didn't match his thoughts. In a way, he looked sinister. In a way there were aspects that looked friendly. He watched his cellmates fall mindlessly into his trap.

The music of his soul drowned out even Erik's own thoughts. The voice inside Jellal's mind ceased to exist, the ramblings of each of his cellmates quietened to nothing.

His eyes met Brain. He felt Cubellios tighten around his stomach. Dread. Layers and layers of it piled in his stomach like a car accident.

The man smirked at him, daring him to say something, to run, to escape; if only so Brain could chase him.

Brain tilted his head and silence reigned. His soul vanished into dust. His thoughts were quiet, nothing came from this man any longer.

Erik stared at him wide eyed, listening for something to indicate his soul wasn't gone.

He had heard everyone's souls except his own. Now he could add Brain's to the list. There was no way he'd ever hear that again. He felt relieved.

Erik didn't blink when a sudden thought passed through him. It jarred him, made him look at the cracked floor in front of him instead of anything with real meaning.

He couldn't hear his own soul, now he couldn't hear Brain's. Perhaps their songs were one in the same.

Maybe he was exactly like Brain.

He disagreed with the thought as soon as it came.

However, a slither of agreeance grew within him.

-0-

Lucy felt everything. She couldn't move. Erik wasn't responding to her. He wasn't hearing her. Erik had disappeared again.

He returned a few minutes later, but something had changed. His voice trembled, even in her head. It wasn't confident, it wasn't relieved, it wasn't happy any longer.

Lucy heard the fear in his voice.

 _"I heard his soul, Lucy, then it was gone. I don't know how he did it."_

 _"What was it like?"_

Erik paused. _"I would take a thousand beatings if it meant never hearing it again."_

Lucy waited for something to tell her he was lying.

She waited and waited.

It never came.

-0-

A year passed, and every day brought with it a new fear. His terror never lessened. Slowly, Erik adapted to it.

-0-

For Lucy, every day solidified the need to save Erik. Her ambition never lessened. Slowly, Lucy let it consume her.

* * *

 **Some part of me feels totally satisfied with the ending of this and another part wants to end this completely differently (still don't know how I would** **). Let me know your innermost thoughts if you're bothered, if not, thank you for reading :)**

 **Leave a review, they keep the fingies typing.**

 **Hope you enjoyed**

 **Until next time :)**

 **~MyFictionalFantasy**


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